April 29, 2024
NewsSubscribeSportseNewspaperShaw Local RadioBearsThe SceneLocal EventsStarved Rock CountryGames/Puzzles

Volleyball: Demi Salazar named as Mendota coach

Longtime coach has coached at 7 high schools around the Illinois Valley, and clubs

By Kevin Hieronymus

Demi Salazar, who has coached at seven area high schools around the Illinois Valley, most recently at Hall in 2019, is expected to be named as the new head volleyball coach at Mendota High School, subject to board approval Tuesday night. (BCR photo)

MENDOTA – A staple of Illinois Valley volleyball for the past half century will be returning to the sidelines this fall.

Demi Salazar, 65, was named the head girls volleyball coach at Mendota High School at Tuesday night’s board of education meeting.

Salazar had stepped down from his second stint at Hall in 2019 to be able to watch his grandkids play, but they are all older now, he said.

“It just seemed right. When I left, I was pretty convinced this is the end,” Salazar said.

Salazar, 65, joked that he’s outdone Brett Farve in coming out of retirement.

“I’m closer to [Muhammad] Ali. I guess next time I should just say I’m going on vacation,” he said.

The 2024 season would mark Salazar’s 50th season coaching volleyball.

He’s coached eight regional champions and four sectional champions with one state finalist (2005 Hall) with a career high school record of 402-232-4 (.634).

He got his start coaching volleyball at St. Pat’s School in LaSalle as a high school student at St. Bede (’75), when it needed a coach for fifth and sixth grade boys

“The nun said, ‘If you do it a year or two before you go away to college, we’d be OK,’ and I never gave it up and kept doing stuff,” he said.

Along the way, Salazar has coached at L-P, Marquette, St. Bede, Ottawa, Putnam County, Hall and Henry.

He is believed to be the only coach in state history to have won a regional at three schools (PC, Hall and Henry).

Salazar also helped start up the IVVP club team in 1993 and presently coaches the Diggerz Club team out of Spring Valley.

“It’s all worked out. Annette and I have met a lot of unbelievable great people over the years,” he said.

Salazar said he’s been looking at some film from last year’s Mendota season “to see what he’s got coming back.”

Salazar succeeds Nicci Gibson, who resigned after three seasons as the Spikers head coach. The Spikers went 12-20-1 last season with a roster of 10 seniors.

“Our goal is always simple: You improve every day,” Salazar said. “We’ve told every team that we’ve ever coached, ‘Improve every day, and don’t go for that win over learning something.’

“So, I would say if they can improve every day and maybe get to college, that’s probably the goal.”

Salazar’s son, Chris, 40, also applied to join his dad’s staff as freshman team coach.

“His thought process is the same as mine,” he said. “We talk about the same things. He knows defense, where their arms should be, where the ball should be, where the setter should be, because he’s had to listen to me.”